Page 28 of Falling Too Soon
Sowhat’s the issue now?
Me
I really like Daphne. Like, I really like her and I think I fucked up trying to push the whole friends-with-benefits thing. I need to tell her how I feel.
Dylan
You’ve known this girl for like 30 seconds. How about you take a breath before you go professing your love to a total stranger?
Brandon
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I have to agree with Dylan here. I know I said before maybe it was worth exploring, but telling her you have feelings for her after a couple of days seems a little weird.
Me
Mom and Dad knew after one date.
The pause in their texts told me I had struck a nerve, but it was true. Dad always said he knew she was the one. I never felt that with Courtney, but I thought our relationship would get there over time. And while I’m not saying I’m head over heels for Daphne, I do have strong feelings for her and I can definitely see a future with her if we could get out of our own way.
Brandon
You’re comparing this to Mom and Dad? That’s bold.
Me
I’m not saying it’s the same, but I have feelings that came on FAST and I don’t think I can ignore them.
Dylan
You know, I think you’re crazy. This is way too soon. I like this fuck buddies idea though. Keep that shit up.
Brandon
Listen, brother, this is fast, but you know how you feel and if you think it’s for real, then I guess you gotta do what you feel is right.
Me
Idk if this helped or not, but thanks for listening. I’m gonna go, but I’ll check in with you guys soon. Dinner at Dad’s when I’m back?
Dylan
Sounds good. Love you bro.
Brandon
Sounds good.
I threw my phone on the bed and then flung myself on it with a huff. What the fuck was I doing? What was I going to do? My chest ached at the thought of not seeing Daphne again after we left this little bubble we’d found ourselves in. I knew it was crazy, but I think my mind was made up. I had to talk to Daphne and see if she could give us a chance. We lived in the same city—we could date. If she could be open to it, we could have a real chance.
I was exhausted and turned in early with my mind made up that tomorrow I’d come clean with Daphne. I only hoped that my confession didn’t totally freak her out and scare her off.
I wokethe next day with renewed excitement. Today was the day I was going to officially shoot my shot with Daphne. The romantic dinner was planned for tonight, and I figured it would be the perfect time to tell her how I was feeling.
I went about my usual morning routine, thankful that I didn’t drink enough yesterday to feel too awful. I started the coffee and then headed out for my morning run. On my run, I imagined taking Daphne to all of my favorite places and introducing her to my family. I imagined waking up next to her every day and spending holidays with her. I knew I was getting way ahead of myself, but daydreaming about what could be was exciting and made my run more bearable.
Forty minutes later, I was a sweaty mess. When I got back to the cabin, I headed straight for the shower. Daphne still hadn’t come out of her room, so I had some time to take a nice, long, hot shower. As the steam surrounded me, I couldn’t help but remember the last time we were in this shower together and I couldn’t wait to be with her again.
After my shower, I dressed and headed out into the living area, but Daphne was still nowhere in sight. As Imade my way back into the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee, I noticed a piece of paper on the island. My shoulders slumped and my chest ached. I knew what it was before I picked it up. Daphne was gone.
